Trifles
by Rhea's Teleplays
Summary: Grissom, Greg, and Nick investigate the murder of a dismembered body and an unlikely suspect. Catherine and Riley investigate a woman is found wandering the desert. - This is a script
1. Teaser

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

"Trifles"

TEASER

FADE IN:

EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - NIGHT

To establish.

EXT. THE MIRAGE - NIGHT

Exterior to establish.

INT. GORILLA HABITAT - NIGHT

The area is taped off, there's a crowd of Lookie Lous. **GRISSOM**, **NICK**, and **GREG** push through carrying their field kits. Captain **BRASS** is talking with witnesses.

BRASS  
(to a nearby officer)  
Finish up here.

Brass leads the men to a door guarded by a policeman.

INT. HABITAT HALLWAY

BRASS  
So the witnesses were coming in  
late after their sudden marriage--

NICK  
Did you tell them the odds of it  
lasting through the weekend  
were slim?

BRASS  
Not my jurisdiction.  
(flashes a smile)  
They saw our suspect holding  
body parts.

All three are caught off guard.

GRISSOM  
You mean the suspect was holding  
parts of a body?

BRASS  
No. The whole thing -- arms, legs,  
head, torso -- all of it.

GRISSOM  
The corpse is dismembered?

GREG  
Wouldn't the real question be: how  
could a human be holding the entire  
body of another human? What was the  
victim? A midget?

Grissom shoots him a disproving look. Greg isn't sorry.

GRISSOM  
We were told you had the suspect in  
custody. Can we talk to him or her?

Brass smiles, knowing what they don't.

BRASS  
Talking to Ralph might be a problem.  
He doesn't speak English.

At the end of the hall he turns away from the direction leading to six gorilla cages. They stop at a door labeled: VETERNARIAN.

GRISSOM  
Have you requested an interpreter?

Brass opens the door. Lying on a large exam table is a heavily sedated gorilla.

BRASS  
We couldn't find an interpreter  
that spoke gorilla.

This twist surprises even Grissom.

SMASH CUT:

OPENING CREDITS.

FADE OUT.

END OF TEASER


	2. Act One

ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. MOJAVE DESERT (AERIAL) - DAY

At a distance, it looks like **GUISTINA** Wright is just out for a stroll through the desert. A police car is approaching on a nearby asphalt road.

EXT. COUNTY ROAD 92 - DAY

The police car stops on the side of the road, and State Patrolmen **BOYER** and **LANCE** get out. Boyer grabs a pair of binoculars and starts scanning the desert. Lance shields his eyes, searching the landscape. From their POV they don't see Guistina right away. Boyer lowers the binoculars.

BOYER  
Are you sure this is the spot?

LANCE  
Caller said mile marker 105. That's  
105 back there.

Boyer scans the land again, right past Guistina. He stops and scans back.

BOYER  
There she is. Come on.

He drops the binoculars in the car and leads the way. As the two get closer they see this woman is very thin. She has a third degree sunburn. Her dress is worn from years of washing. Her hair was in a long, sloppy braid. On her forehead, disappearing into her hair is a large, bruised, cut. Her bare feet are cracked and bloody.

LANCE  
Ma'am.

She doesn't stop walking.

BOYER  
Ma'am, a man called in to report  
you out here. He said he almost hit  
you when you crossed the road in  
front of him. Do you need help?  
Would you like us to give you a  
ride somewhere?

When she doesn't respond, Boyer grabs her shoulder to stop her. She screams and attacks him in a fury of rage. Boyer goes down and the two officers wrestle to get her stopped and handcuffed.

INT. GORILLA HABITAT - DAY

With camera in hand, Nick is searching the habitat for evidence. He snaps some photos of a few blood spots. He moves near the cage door that lets Ralph into the habitat. The door is down.

He notices the ground in front of the door is freshly dug, but at the doors of the other cage door it isn't. He crouches to photograph it.

Inside the cage is coated with blood that Greg is taking samples of.

GREG  
Find something?

NICK  
There's fresh dirt here.

Nick looks up, seeing blood on the bent bars of the door. None of the bars on the other cages are bent. He takes pictures, then takes a sample of the blood.

NICK  
There's blood on the outside of  
these bars.

GREG  
Could be the victim's.

While collecting the blood, Nick notices a patch of blood on the habitat wall. A few black hairs are sticking out that may be a match to the victim's black hair.

NICK  
That may be, but this isn't.

He takes photographs and a sample.

INT. RALPH'S CAGE - DAY

GREG  
At least you have different  
evidence. I have a cage full of  
blood. If that's not a conviction,  
I don't know what is.

NICK  
Better not let Grissom hear you say  
that. I think he feels sorry for  
the gorilla.

Greg chuckles some.

INT. GORILLA HABITAT - DAY

Nick searches for more evidence. His eyes stop on a camera pointed into the habitat. He gathers his kit and goes through the small access door hidden behind a plant.

Omitted

INT. SUNRISE HOSPITAL - HALLWAY - DAY

**RILEY** and **CATHERINE** are walking with field kits in hand. Down the hall Boyer and Lance are waiting for them. Boyer has several bandages and fingernail scratches on his face and neck. The four great each other with slight nods.

RILEY  
Bad day?

BOYER  
I've had better.

CATHERINE  
Dispatch requested female CSIs. Is  
it a sexual assault?

Both men shrug. Boyd glances through an open door. In the room beyond, Riley and Catherine can see Guistina lying on her side in the bed. Nurse **LORETTA** is finishing bandaging the woman's burned arm.

BOYER  
A male caller told dispatch a woman  
walked out of the desert right in  
front of him and he almost hit her.  
We responded and found her walking  
through the desert barefoot. When I  
tried to stop her, she went crazy  
on me. Then she went limp. We had  
to carry her back to the car. We  
don't know if she's been assaulted  
or not, or if she's just insane. We  
asked dispatch to check with local  
hospitals for missing patients.

CATHERINE  
Thank you. We'll take it from here.

The men leave and the women enter the room.

INT. SUNRISE HOSPITAL - ROOM - DAY

Riley catches Loretta at the door.

RILEY  
Did you get a rape kit?

LORETTA  
I have it at the nurses' station.  
She didn't consent, but she didn't  
say no either.

RILEY  
I'll pick it up before we leave.  
Has she spoken to you?

LORETTA  
Not a word. The E.R. nurse said she  
didn't even flinch when she put the  
I.V. needle in.

RILEY  
Thank you.

Loretta leaves. Riley walks around to one side of the bed and uses a table to set up. On the opposite side, Catherine pulls a chair up to the bed and sets her kit on the floor next to her. Guistina's hallow face has been smeared with burn gel. She stares unblinking at a spot on the wall.

RILEY  
Ma'am, can I scrape under your fingernails?

The woman doesn't answer. The two CSI exchange looks. Catherine nods slightly and Riley begins processing the woman for evidence.

Catherine pulls on gloves as she talks to Guistina.

CATHERINE  
My name is Catherine Willows. This  
is my partner Riley Sidle. We're  
from the Las Vegas crime lab. Can  
you tell me how you ended up barefoot  
in the desert?

No answer.

Catherine pulls out a comb and paper. She reaches out to comb the woman's hair and the woman's eyes flick up. They stare at each other.

CATHERINE  
(gently)  
Did you want to say something?

The woman's eyes drift away. Catherine and Riley collect their evidence in silence.

INT. VETERINARIAN EXAM ROOM - DAY

Brass is questioning the habitat veterinarians **TERRI** and **LACY**. Lacy is crying. Terri is distraught, but he's hiding it better.

Gloved and meticulous, Grissom is processing Ralph while he listens to the conversation. Ralph is heavily sedated, but he still manages to watch Grissom.

BRASS  
Did either of you know the victim?

LACY  
Uhm... Yeah. Yes. She's...  
Takoda Red Deer.

BRASS  
Takoda Red Deer?

Grissom looks into Ralph's eyes and they stare at each other a moment. Grissom suddenly looks away, continuing his work.

TERRI  
She's been here for six months  
working on her doctorate thesis.  
Anma okayed her to work with Ralph.

BRASS  
And who is Anma?

LACY  
His mom.

Brass glances at the gorilla, then Grissom, then back at the vets.

BRASS  
So your saying the gorilla's mom  
told you to give someone--

LACY  
I don't need your cynicism,  
Detective Brass!

Grissom picks up one of Ralph's hands...

**CSI POV**

**The firm pad of his palm is scratched, the tips of his fingers are torn to shreds, and under his three middle fingers are bits of human skin, Caucasian.**

**BACK TO SCENE**

BRASS  
Okay. Okay. How'd you get  
permission from a gorilla?

LACY  
His mom is Doctor Anma Scotton, a  
renowned anthropologist. She found  
him in Nigeria next to his dead  
mother. She rescued him and he  
thinks she's his mom.

BRASS  
Has Ralph ever been violent before?

TERRI  
Ralph didn't kill Takoda. She was  
his friend; he never would have  
hurt her.

BRASS  
We have a dismembered corpse and  
cage full of blood that says  
otherwise. Maybe he got tired of  
living behind bars.

Grissom has worked his way down to Ralph's feet. He leans in...

**CSI POV**

**Cuts cover Ralph's pads and the top of his feet. The ends of his toes are shredded.**

**Grissom imagines this was caused by him using his feet to dig at something solid -- like cement at the edge of his cage.**

**BACK TO SCENE**

Grissom starts taking photographs of the injuries. He works his way around to the other hand, documenting the injuries on it as well.

TERRI  
Ralph isn't violent.

BRASS  
Then who did this? Who tore that  
young woman apart?

The two can't answer that question.

BRASS  
Does anyone else have access to  
this area?

TERRI  
The manager, the dietician,  
janitors, and us.

BRASS  
Have there been any problems with  
the habitat? Any threats? Maybe  
someone's concerned about the  
exhibit's performance?

Grissom sets his camera aside. Starting at the head, he gently probes under Ralph's long, black hair. Ralph closes his eyes, making soft noises like purring. Grissom almost smiles. Ralph's eyes open when Grissom comes across an anomaly.

**CSI POV**

**On Ralph's forehead, hidden by hair, is a long, bruised cut that's formed a knot. The cut has started to scab.**

**BACK TO SCENE**

Grissom grabs his camera and documents this injury. He continues his probing, making Ralph 'purr' again.

TERRI  
To our knowledge there haven't been  
any threats and it's performing as  
strongly as the lion and dolphin  
attractions.

BRASS  
I'll need everyone's name, save the  
manager. Already have his.

They nod and turn to go.

GRISSOM  
Was Ralph in a fight with another  
gorilla recently? Maybe the silver  
back I saw in the next cage?

The two shake their heads.

LACY  
Why?

GRISSOM  
His fingers and toes are scraped.  
And there's a cut on his head. It  
looks like he might have hit it  
on something.

Lacy rushes over to examine the finds. She starts crying again.

LACY  
Oh, sweetheart, what have you done  
to yourself? What _happened_ to you  
last night?

Ralph makes a low sound, turning his head toward her. Grissom gives him a reassuring pat, something Brass notices but says nothing about.

EXT. CSI BUILDING - NIGHT

Establishing shot.

INT. CATHERINE'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Catherine is filling out paperwork when Grissom walks past. He returns and leans against the doorframe, knocking lightly on the door. She looks up, smiles.

GRISSOM  
How's your case coming?

CATHERINE  
You gave Riley and I a dead end. The  
woman wasn't raped and with the  
injuries she obtained wandering the  
desert for three days, we can't be  
certain she was attacked.

GRISSOM  
Jane Doe won't tell you what  
happened to her?

CATHERINE  
Jane Doe isn't talking to anyone.

GRISSOM  
Why?

CATHERINE  
We don't know. Her doctor doesn't  
think it's physical, the psychiatrist  
thinks it may be emotional trauma.

GRISSOM  
What do you think?

CATHERINE  
She's either covering for someone  
or she saw something she  
shouldn't have.

GRISSOM  
So no missing persons matching her?

CATHERINE  
No one fitting her description has  
been reported in the last two  
weeks. I'm telling you, Grissom,  
you gave us a dead end.

**Sophie** Curtis appears at the door, holding up a piece of paper.

BRASS  
A missing persons just came in that  
matches your victim.

CATHERINE  
(to Grissom)  
I didn't think we'd ever pick up a lead.

GRISSOM  
Is this a woman only case?

Sophie grins.

BRASS  
And we like it that way, Grissom.  
How's your monkey business going?

As he leaves he answers.

GRISSOM  
Primate. Slow. Good luck, ladies.

Catherine gets up and grabs her jacket. She joins Sophie at the door, taking the missing person's report and reading it.

CATHERINE  
Let's go talk to this Joan Peters.

The women leave together.

EXT. SUNSET ACRES TRAILER PARK - DAY

Sophie gets out of an unmarked car. Catherine and Riley step out of a black SUV. The three join on the sidewalk in front of **JOAN** Peters' trailer.

Most of the trailers are well kept. The one directly across from Joan's has a new pickup, and isn't well kept. The road ends at the open desert. The CSIs and Sophie head up the deck stairs to Joan's trailer.

EXT. JOAN'S DECK - DAY

Riley looks at the old truck and sailboat parked beside the deck as they pass. Sophie knocks and they wait.

Joan, 40's, opens the door. She's dressed in paint stained shorts and tank, her hair is pulled back in a messy ponytail. In one hand she's holding wet paintbrushes, in the other a cigarette.

BRASS  
Joan Peters?

Joan is soft spoken unless provoked, a contradiction to her appearance.

JOAN  
Yeah.

The woman sucks a drag from her cigarette. Sophie flashes her badge.

BRASS  
I'm Detective Curtis. This is  
Catherine Willow and Riley Sidle  
from the crime lab. We'd like to  
talk to you about the missing  
person's report you filed on a  
Guistina Wright.

JOAN  
Did I miss something? The  
secretary marked all the places I  
had to fill out.

BRASS  
The report was fine.

Sophie pulls a photograph out of her pocket, holding it up.

BRASS  
Your description matches this--

Joan drops her brushes and rips the photograph away. She rushes to the opposite side of her deck.

JOAN  
Elan! Elan!

There's a brief silence, then a window of the next trailer opens. Out of it appears **ELLEN** Hale, 50's. She wears a bright flowered muumuu and holds the end of long 1920's style cigarette holder with a brown unfiltered cigarette.

ELLEN  
Yeah?

Joan holds the picture up.

JOAN  
It's Guistina!

Ellen drops her cigarette. She leans out her window, snatching the picture away. She stares at it for a beat before looking up at them.

ELLEN  
Is she dead? Did he kill her?

Sophie holds her hand out for the photograph.

CATHERINE  
No. She's not dead.

JOAN  
Is she in trouble? Where is she?  
Can we see her? Oh God. What did he  
do to her?

BRASS  
Let's start from the beginning, okay?

Joan nods. Ellen sniffles.

BRASS  
Where does Guistina live?

JOAN  
She's our neighbor in that trailer.

Joan makes a feeble motion at shabby trailer across the street. Catherine and Riley both glance at it.

BRASS  
In the report you stated that she  
may have been missing for a week.  
Why are you just now filing the report?

JOAN  
He kept her locked up in there. It  
was normal for us not to see her  
for days until he went on a trip or  
out drinking.

Joan shoots a dark look at the trailer she's talking about.

ELLEN  
John Wright is an asshole!

They're all surprised by the comment, even Joan.

ELLEN  
Well he is! He kept Tina locked up  
in that trailer like some caged  
bird. He never bought her anything;  
she had to beg just for cloth to  
make new dresses. Once he caught  
her wearing pants I gave her, the  
next day she was covered in bruises.  
She is the sweetest, kindest girl  
you'd ever meet, but he treats her  
like dirt and for no good reason!

BRASS  
John Wright is her husband?

JOAN  
Yes.

The familiar story is getting to Riley. She turns a glare on the trailer.

BRASS  
When was the last time either of  
you actually saw Guistina?

JOAN  
Monday, I think.

ELLEN  
Oh nooo. I saw her Wednesday when I  
took her a gift. A pretty little  
canary. I thought it might help  
brighten her day. She loved that  
thing! Prettiest little cage too.

JOAN  
But he's been home since. We  
haven't seen her. Although... It's  
really strange for him to be home so  
long. And how did she get out in  
the desert without him stopping her?

ELLEN  
He drank, you know. Probably drank  
himself stupid.

JOAN  
Is she okay?

Catherine offers a sympathetic smile.

CATHERINE  
Not really. She won't talk to anyone.

JOAN  
Can we see her? Maybe she'll talk to us.

CATHERINE  
I'm sorry. Not yet. We have a lot  
of questions about the state she  
was found in.

JOAN  
State? Is she hurt bad? Did that--

CATHERINE  
She's catatonic.

ELLEN  
What the hell does a cat in a tonic  
have to do with this?

JOAN  
Catatonic, Elan. Maybe she'd snap  
out of it if we visited her.

CATHERINE  
Not yet. We'll let you know when  
she can have visitors. Thank you  
for your help.

The two nod. Sophie and the CSIs head across the street.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE


	3. Act Two

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

EXT. SUNSET ACRES TRAILER PARK

To establish.

INT. WRIGHT TRAILER

The trailer is immaculate. Everything is neat. But it lacks the personality of a lived in home. Across the deep pile rug a trail of white powdered shoe prints go to a recliner, then down the hall to the bedroom.

Someone knocks on the screen door.

BRASS (O.S.)  
Las Vegas police. Open up.

The screen door creaks when it opens and the inside door swings open when Sophie knocks. She and the two CSI instantly draw back to railing of the sagging deck, covering their mouths and noses.

RILEY  
I think I'll start working the  
perimeter.

She leaves to do that before Catherine can argue.

EXT. WRIGHT TRAILER - DAY

CATHERINE  
Something is dead in there.

BRASS  
Something tells me we're about to  
meet Mister Wright.

Sophie pushes the door open with his foot and the two move inside.

INT. WRIGHT TRAILER - DAY

Catherine follows the shoe prints into the kitchen. Sophie trails behind, looking for evidence.

Catherine stops at the edge of the kitchen linoleum -- a spilled container of flour sits in the middle of the kitchen.

BRASS  
I'm going to check the rest of the trailer.

Catherine sets her kit down and starts taking pictures. There are shoe and footprints in the powder. The refrigerator door is open and she notices a small patch of red substance on the handle.

BRASS (O.S.)  
I found Mr. Wright.

Catherine leaves the scene to find Sophie. She passes a room and pauses. Inside is an accountant's office, and compared to the rest of the trailer it's a mess.

She passes the bathroom where everything is neat, tidy, and perfectly aligned.

INT. WRIGHT TRAILER BEDROOM

Catherine enters the master bedroom. Riley comes down the hall behind her, entering with her.

Lying in the bed is the bloated, discolored corpse of John Wright. A white cotton rope still dangles from his neck. The bed is neat and nothing else in the room is disturbed.

CATHERINE  
Is it me, or does it look like that  
man did not put up a fight?

BRASS  
That's what I was thinking. I'll go  
call it in.

CATHERINE  
Okay.

Sophie leaves. Catherine begins processing the scene. Riley walks up behind her.

RILEY  
I've seen that rope.

CATHERINE  
Where?

RILEY  
On Joan's boat. A length of it was  
tied around the sail.

Catherine is near a window. In the back is a tool shed with no door. She can see a spool of matching rope.

CATHERINE  
I've seen it too.

RILEY  
Where?

CATHERINE  
In the shed out back. Collect that  
spool of rope. And ask Sophie if  
she can get a warrant to take the  
rope off Joan's boat

RILEY  
Alright.

Riley leaves and Catherine continues working.

EXT. WRIGHT TRAILER - DAY

Riley pulls out a paper evidence bag from her kit, and slides the roll of rope into it. She seals it and sets it aside. The tool shed is jam packed of junk. She turns, looking at trash piled against the trailer.

Something catches her eye. She walks over and with effort pulls out a damaged birdcage. She holds it up for a closer look.

**CSI POV**

**The cage door is slightly bent. Along the edge there is tried blood and a little skin.**

**BACK TO SCENE**

Riley takes it to her kit and tests it for blood -- positive.

INT. CSI - HALLWAY - DAY

Grissom passes a hallway reading a file. Nick sees him and jogs to catch up.

NICK  
Grissom.

Grissom stops and turns. Nick hands him a piece of paper with a small photo on it.

NICK  
Found Takoda Red Deer. She was  
finishing her doctorate in  
psychology at UNLV.

Grissom is confused by the information.

GRISSOM  
Nick, we already know _who_ our  
victim is.

NICK  
Yeah, but that gorilla killed her and--

GRISSOM  
We follow the evidence trail,  
remember? We don't jump to conclusions  
until we have all the evidence.

NICK  
You don't think he murdered her, do you?

GRISSOM  
I don't have enough evidence to  
make a conclusive decision. Have  
you gone over the security footage?

NICK  
No. They said they'll have it to  
me tomorrow, which they said  
yesterday too.

GRISSOM  
Keep on top of it.

Their cell phones ring at the same time. Grissom answers his, walking away. Nick watches him leave before he looks at his phone. It reads: Wendy. He answers it.

NICK  
Yeah?

WENDY (V.O.)  
Your blood samples are ready. Come  
and get them.

NICK  
I'll be right there.

He heads back down the hall.

INT. CSI - LAB - DAY

Catherine and Riley pull the roll of rope, noose, and boat rope from individual evidence bags. Various cutting instruments are set out, a few that might create unique cutting patterns, but the one that did isn't among them. Riley holds up the boat rope for Catherine to see.

RILEY  
See what I mean? The cut pattern on  
these ropes isn't like anything  
I've seen before.

Catherine takes the rope and examines it.

CATHERINE  
Let's see if it shows anything  
under the microscope.

She puts an end from the noose and the boat under a comparison microscope.

MICROSCOPE POV

Once the two ends are focused, the unique cut is shown. The cut is clean, but the outside strands have been cut shorter than the inside strands.

**BACK TO SCENE**

Catherine then examines the ends from the noose and roll, and from the roll and boat. They all have matching ends. She leans back, puzzled by her find.

CATHERINE  
They're identical. Let's see  
if anything we have will make  
this cut.

The two go around the table. Rolls of identical rope sit nearby. The women pull off some and start cutting. With the last item used, they stare at the cut ropes.

CATHERINE  
Well... It's enough to get a  
warrant for Joan.

RILEY  
But not Elan.

Riley's phone goes off and she looks at the text message sent.

RILEY  
Wendy has my blood sample. I'll be  
right back.

Riley leaves Catherine to figure out another plan of attack.

INT. CSI - DNA LAB - DAY

Greg enters the lab to find **WENDY** staring at a piece of paper. He stops beside her to read over her shoulder. She flattens it against her chest, smiling at him.

WENDY  
You made a mistake, Greg. A  
classic, classic mistake.

He returns her smile.

GREG  
I did? What was it?

Nick walks in.

NICK  
You called?

WENDY  
Greg is in sooooo much trouble,  
Nick. So much trouble. He goofed.

That makes Nick grin.

NICK  
Oh yeah? What do I get to never let  
him live down now?

WENDY  
The blood in the cage, the stuff  
that Greg was so sure would  
seal poor Ralph's fate...  
Is pig's blood.

Greg pulls the paper from her. This is surprising.

GREG  
The cage was covered in pig's blood?

WENDY  
And very little of the victim's. So  
if anything was torn apart in that  
cage, it had four legs, cloven  
hooves, and squealed.

Greg frowns at the paper.

NICK  
Great. So what did you find out  
about mine?

Wendy turns and pulls a sheet off the printer.

WENDY  
What two species on the planet have  
ninety-eight to ninety-nine percent  
of the same DNA markers as humans?

NICK  
Chimpanzees and gorillas. The blood  
was gorilla?

Wendy relinquishes the paper.

WENDY  
And not just any monkey's blood.

Nick frowns at his paper.

NICK  
Ralph's. Great. We're back to  
square one.

GREG  
Hope Grissom's evidence gives us a lead.

Riley comes in.

RILEY  
Is this where the party is?

WENDY  
The blood on the birdcage belongs  
to the neighbor, Elan Hale.  
Catherine's sample, from the  
refrigerator, was the victim's.

Wendy hands her the printout of his findings.

WENDY  
_And_ Joan Peters' epidurals were on  
all the rope samples.

RILEY  
Thanks, Wendy.

Riley runs out.

WENDY  
That's all the good news.

NICK  
Guess we'd better go see if Grissom  
has anything.

GREG  
He want's the monkey to be  
innocent. This will make his night.

The two leave as they argue.

NICK  
Primate, Greg! Gorillas aren't monkeys.

GREG  
Hey, was that your uncle in that  
other cage there? He sure looked  
like you, especially from the backside.

NICK  
Greg, stop proving you're twelve.

Wendy turns back to work laughing at them.

INT. CATHERINE'S OFFICE - DAY

Catherine is on the phone when Riley appears with two pieces of paper. Catherine motions her to wait.

CATHERINE  
Alright. Thank you for calling.

She hangs up.

CATHERINE  
That was the hospital. Guistina's  
talking, sort of.

RILEY  
Sort of?

CATHERINE  
She's asking for her sewing basket.  
What did Wendy find?

RILEY  
Enough evidence I was able to get  
warrants to arrest Joan Peters and  
Elan Hale.

Catherine smiles.

CATHERINE  
Let's find Sophie and see if they  
can reveal more about John and  
Guistina Wright.

Riley follows her out.

INT. GRISSOM'S OFFICE - DAY

Grissom stops in the door, staring at the back of **ANMA SCOTTON** sitting in a chair before his desk. Her hair is long and spun into a single braid. Sitting in her lap is an overstuffed canvas messenger bag. With a dark tan, unmanicured hand she holds a weather beaten, sweat stained safari hat.

She doesn't see him; her attention is on a collection of oddities on the opposite wall. Grissom clears his throat, continuing to his desk. He holds her gaze as he sits down. Even sitting she's a tall woman.

GRISSOM  
I'm G--

ANMA  
Doctor Gilbert Grissom. I know. I'm  
Doctor Anma Scotton, Ralph's owner.  
What evidence have you collected to  
prove Ralph is innocent?

Grissom is a little taken back by how confrontational she is.

ANMA  
Do I need to have my lawyers  
request your findings?

GRISSOM  
Lawyers?

ANMA  
Do I?

Grissom smiles.

GRISSOM  
You're a very caring parent. Many  
human children don't have parents  
that would be willing to call a  
team of lawyers to their defense.

ANMA  
Thank you. Could answer my questions?

GRISSOM  
The evidence is still being  
analyzed and Ralph's guilt or  
innocence hasn't been determined.

ANMA  
You've already made a decision on  
it, haven't you? So far everyone  
else I've spoken to about this case  
has, including the district attorney.

GRISSOM  
I assure you, Doctor Scotton, I'm  
not everyone else. Until I have  
conclusive evidence, Ralph is  
neither innocent nor guilty, and I  
can assure you that as soon as I  
know, so will you.

Anma stares at him. Her expression is hard to read. She looks down and pulls a folder from her bag. She opens it, skimming the contents.

ANMA  
You know sign language, I see.

Grissom is intrigued, his attention drawn to the folder.

GRISSOM  
Is that about me?

ANMA  
Yes.

GRISSOM  
And how did you obtain it, may I ask.

ANMA  
I have friends in very high places.

Grissom smiles and it entices her to reflect it.

ANMA  
At this point you should be mad.  
Others would be.

GRISSOM  
On the contrary, Doctor Scotton,  
I'm impressed by your thoroughness.

ANMA  
I hope yours will impress me.

Grissom nods slightly.

ANMA  
Do you know sign language?

Grissom's cell phone rings and he looks at it. The face displays: Coroner. He sets it aside, continuing his conversation.

GRISSOM  
Yes. How is that import--

ANMA  
So does Ralph. He has the largest  
vocabulary of any primate ever taught.

The news is both a shock and breakthrough to Grissom. He has a witness to the murder. Someone who can tell him who really killed Takoda.

GRISSOM  
Does he grasp concepts of death?

ANMA  
I assume so, however, murder he has  
never been exposed to. He may not  
understand the concept at all.

GRISSOM  
I will do my best to help him. Is  
there anything in particular that  
will help me communicate with him?

ANMA  
Me.

GRISSOM  
I can't allow you to speak to him  
right now. It isn't that I don't  
believe you would coerce him, but  
if we are going to be able to use  
his testimony, it must be unbiased.

Anma looks at his shelf. He follows her gaze to a termite colony -- content insects well cared for. When he looks back, she's holding up three candy bars.

ANMA  
We have a code so he knows when I  
send someone new to talk to him. If  
you want to talk to him, you must  
do exactly as I instruct.

He picks up a notepad and pen, and waits for her to begin her instructions.

EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - DAY

To establish.

EXT. SUNSET ACRES TRAILER PARK - DAY

Riley, Catherine, and Sophie are returning to the neighborhood with an additional patrol car. Joan and Ellen come out of Joan's trailer as they park. Joan is carrying an old sewing basket brimming with fabric.

Catherine hurries to get out, glancing at the trailer across the street. Police tape has marked it off. Riley, Sophie, and the patrol officer surround the two suspects.

CATHERINE  
Ma'am, put that basket down.

The two stare at them. Joan doesn't obey.

JOAN  
I'm taking it to Guistina. When we  
called the hospital they said she  
could have visitors.

Riley pulls on rubber gloves.

CATHERINE  
Did you go into her trailer to get it?

JOAN  
It's her trailer and her basket.

CATHERINE  
And it's evidence and you tampered  
with a crime scene. At this point,  
I wouldn't need a warrant to  
arrest you.

Riley approaches and takes a hold of the basket. For a moment it doesn't appear Joan is going to let her have it. She lets go and Riley takes it back to the SUV

JOAN  
You have a warrant for my arrest?

BRASS  
You and Elan. Stand against the car  
with your hands on the roof.

ELLEN  
I'm being arrested? For what?

BRASS  
Against the car, now!

Joan and Ellen look at each other, looking even guiltier. Very slowly, Ellen starts to obey.

JOAN  
Wait.  
(stops Elan)  
Why are we being arrested? You have  
to tell us that.

BRASS  
The murder of John Wright.

The two move over to the car and place their hands on the roof.

INT. AUTOPSY A - DAY

Grissom enters the autopsy room. Doctor **ROBBINS** is leaning over an exam table that has Takoda's body parts arranged on it.

GRISSOM  
Sorry. I was in an interview.

ROBBINS  
I called Greg and he said the  
gorilla's surrogate mother had  
arrived unannounced. How'd it go?

GRISSOM  
She's concerned. What have you found?

ROBBINS  
I found subdermal bruising when I  
photographed the body.

Robbins leads Grissom over to the screen with the photographs. Robbins turns to Grissom with a smile, but it fades with the look on Grissom's face. He's not surprised.

ROBBINS  
You knew I'd find this?

GRISSOM  
All evidence is pointing towards a  
human killer.

ROBBINS  
Then it won't surprise you that I  
also found tool and ligature marks  
on her wrists and ankles.

GRISSOM  
No.

Grissom's phone rings. He answers it as he leaves the room.

GRISSOM  
Greg, go to the a/v lab, get a  
camcorder, and meet me out front.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO


	4. Act Three

ACT THREE

FADE IN:

INT. CSI - INTERVIEW ROOM A - DAY

Ellen sits with her hands folded on the table, placid and unconcerned. Riley enters the room with a manila folder. She sits down opposite of Ellen and opens it. When she looks up, Ellen smiles.

RILEY  
You waived your right to a lawyer.

ELLEN  
Innocent people don't need lawyers, hun.

Riley doesn't reflect the warmness of the comment. As far as she's concerned, Ellen is a cold-blooded killer. Riley takes a paper from the folder and shows it to Ellen.

RILEY  
There was blood in the birdcage we  
found behind the Wright trailer and  
it matches your blood. You said you  
gave her a canary as a pet, but we  
haven't been able to find it. Only  
a damaged cage. Did you change your mind?

ELLEN  
A missing bird and a little blood  
is what all this fuss is about?

RILEY  
Both. What happened, Elan?

ELLEN  
Nothing.

RILEY  
Then you can explain the blood in  
the cage, I suppose.

Ellen extends her hand, showing the side of her palm. There's a small cut along the edge surrounded by an ugly bruise.

ELLEN  
Honey, growing old is a curse of  
humans. Takes its toll on the  
body's insides. I don't move so  
fast with my arthritis and I'm on  
Coumadin. I bleed like I had water  
in my veins.

RILEY  
How did your blood get in the  
birdcage?

ELLEN  
Do you recall I said I bought the  
bird to keep Guistina company?

Riley nods.

ELLEN  
I was putting food and water in the  
cage for her and scraped it on the  
door. You should have seen her  
face, honey. It was like gold to  
get that pretty little bird. She  
hung it up in front of the window  
and when it started singing, she  
sang back. Oh, honey, you should  
have heard her voice! I could have  
sworn the heavens opened up and gave  
her music. She said she was in her  
church choir before she married  
John -- never knew that about her.  
Funny how animals make people  
different, isn't it?

RILEY  
If only we could laugh about it.

Ellen sadly nods.

ELLEN  
I know you and those other two  
ladies think maybe Joan did this,  
but she didn't. Joan talks a lot,  
sounds tough, but she's not. She  
wouldn't kill anyone.

RILEY  
We'll see.

Riley gets up, leaving the room.

INT. HABITAT HALLWAY - DAY

Grissom, Greg, and Terri stop outside Ralph's cage. Greg carries a video camera. Inside Ralph sits in the corner, staring out at the habitat. He slowly looks at Grissom when the door is opened. Grissom stops at the door, turning to Terri.

GRISSOM  
Thank you. I'll let you know when  
we're ready to leave.

Terri doesn't look comfortable.

GRISSOM  
Anma should be calling any minute  
to okay this visit. We need to  
speak to Ralph alone, Terri.

TERRI  
Do either of you know sign language?

GRISSOM  
I do.

Terri hesitates, but finally nods a little.

TERRI  
Fine. Okay. I'll be down the hall.

Terri leaves. Grissom digs the candy bars out of his jacket pocket and peels one open. That gets Ralph's attention.

INT. RALPH'S CAGE - DAY

Grissom walks over and sits down in front of him.

He sets the open candy bar on the floor and then motions to it and Ralph. Ralph slowly takes and begins eating. Grissom drops the rest in his lap. He signs as he talks.

GRISSOM  
Hello, Ralph. Your mother sent  
these. She said you can have one  
now, and the others after we've  
talked. Is that okay?

Ralph softly grunts, nods. It makes Grissom smile, but he's careful not to show his teeth. Grissom turns to Greg, who's hovering close to the door.

GRISSOM  
Sit down, Greg.

Greg takes a step back. He isn't comfortable with this.

GRISSOM  
Greg, he won't hurt you. Come and  
sit down. You won't be able to  
record the conversation from over there.

Greg slowly approaches and sits down next to Grissom.

GRISSOM  
Ralph, can we take moving pictures  
of you? Do you know what moving  
pictures are?

Ralph signs and Grissom smiles.

GRISSOM  
You've seen them in a little box in  
your mother's room, they moved and  
made noises. Is it okay?

Ralph nods. Grissom gives Greg the signal to start recording.

GRISSOM  
This is Greg. I'm Gil. I looked at  
you the last time I saw you. Do  
you remember?

Ralph nods.

GRISSOM  
My friends and I looked at what  
happened to Takoda. We know you  
didn't hurt her. Can you tell me  
who did?

Ralph signs and it confuses Grissom.

GRISSOM  
The clean man hurt your old new  
friend? Who is the clean man? Who  
is your old new friend?

Ralph signs the same thing. Grissom thinks this over.

GRISSOM  
Is your old new friend the girl you  
were holding when people found you?

Ralph nods.

GRISSOM  
Can you tell me about the time the  
clean man hurt your old new friend?

Ralph signs back. He's very vocal. Grissom interprets.

FLASH TO: WHITE

**INT. RALPH'S CAGE - NIGHT (RE-ENACTMENT)**

**A faceless person comes to the door leading into the hall. Ralph wakes up, watching him. He can only see the person's hands as the person signs to him.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
The clean man came before food  
came. He told me I could play. He  
opened the door...**

**The habitat door is open. Ralph wanders out into the habitat.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
...and I went out to see others.  
They were still sleeping in their  
rooms...**

**Ralph walks over the other doors. The other gorillas stir. One or two look at him but go back to sleep.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
...I heard something. I looked and  
he'd closed door. He was putting  
water on the wall so I went to  
look...**

**Ralph wanders back to the door, watching the faceless person. They have two 10 gallon buckets and are splashing a black colored liquid around Ralph's cage.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
It was red and smelled strange...**

**The liquid becomes red. It's slightly viscous and almost oozes down the wall.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
I don't like the smell. He left  
through the out door and came back  
dragging a sack...**

**The faceless man goes into the hall and with great effort, pulls a gunnysack into the room. **

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
He began pulling out pieces of old  
new friend. I saw her face and she  
was sick. She was white. She was  
not put together any more.**

**The faceless man pulls out Takoda's head and sets it down. It rolls a little. When it stops cloudy, dead eyes stare at Ralph.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
I got mad. I tried to get back in  
and stop clean man from hurting her  
more. He put more red water in my  
room. He left and the in door  
opened...**

**Ralph grabs the bars, rattles them, tries to bend them. When he can't, he goes down the wall and beats it with his hands and head. It doesn't give.**

**He goes back to the bars. They begin to bend. Blood and hair transfer to the outside bars from the wound he's opened on his scalp. The faceless man leaves, the inside door closes and the habitat door opens. Ralph slowly approaches Takoda's head.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
I went in, picked up old new  
friend, tried to put her together.  
But she wouldn't go together...**

**Ralph grabs up the parts and tries to put her back together. Behind him he hears a noise and looks back, seeing the other gorillas going out into the habitat. He gathers the pieces and goes to them, but they turn their backs on him.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
Then all our in-out doors opened  
and the others went out. I took her  
out to them. They wouldn't help old  
new friend. They never liked old  
new friend. I tried still...**

**Ralph sits down with his back to the windows and keeps trying to put Takoda back together. Time passes. In the hall outside the habitat Serena and Louis stroll up. Ralph looks back and sees them. He's unaffected by Serena screaming.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
Then I saw another like her, but  
with yellow hair. She made a noise  
I never heard. **

**The hall quickly fills with hotel employees, and then police and onlookers. **

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
Then lots of old new friend's kind came. **

**A sound draws the other gorillas into their cages and the doors shut. Ralph sits alone with his dismembered Takoda. Through a door Terri enters carrying a tranquilizer gun. **

**Ralph only stares at him when he lifts the gun. Terri tears up but does what has to be done. He shoots Ralph with a tranquilizer dart.**

**GRISSOM (V.O.)  
Sick man pointed a stick at me.  
Made a sound like mother when she  
left me here. Something came out of  
the sick man's stick. Then a bee  
stung me and I went to sleep until  
I saw you.**

**The world blurs to black.**

**But the story continues. Once Ralph is unconscious, police and David rush in to remove the body. Terri and Lacy approach Ralph, both disturbed by the event but caring for the gentle giant.**

**BACK TO SCENE**

Ralph sighs, dropping his hands in his lap. Greg is stunned.

GREG  
So... He saw who killed her? But  
who is it?

Grissom thinks for a moment. Suddenly he has an idea.

GRISSOM  
Ralph, what do you call the person  
that brings you food?

Ralph signs.

GRISSOM  
Food woman. And the man and woman  
that have the things they put in  
their ears and listen to your chest?

Ralph signs.

GRISSOM  
Mother calls them the sick man and woman.

Grissom smiles a little.

GRISSOM  
So the clean man... Does he clean  
your room when you're out?

Ralph signs.

GRISSOM  
Sometimes I am in it when he cleans.  
Ralph, I'm sorry this human hurt  
your friend. I will find him. We  
will make him understand he did  
a bad thing.

The only thing Ralph does is lift his chin, staring at Grissom. Grissom starts to sign and speak, but Ralph stops him with a loud snort and single nod.

GRISSOM  
Do you believe me?

Ralph nods.

Grissom starts to set the other two candy bars on the floor. Ralph leans forward suddenly, faster than Grissom, and grabs them and his hand. The two stare into each other's eyes.

GRISSOM  
What did I do?

Ralph tells him.

Grissom smiles, holding out the candy bars. Ralph takes them. Grissom signs to him:

GRISSOM  
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you.

Lazily Ralph signs back and Grissom chuckles.

GREG  
What did he say?

GRISSOM  
He asked if I found coconuts. He  
likes them. Yes, Ralph. I'll find  
you a coconut.

Grissom gets up and Greg hurries to follow him.

GRISSOM  
Terri, we're done.

Terri comes back and lets them out.

INT. HABITAT HALLWAY

Grissom stops in the hall.

GRISSOM  
Who cleans Ralph's cage?

TERRI  
Steve Perinski. Why?

GRISSOM  
I'm going to need his contact information.  
He may be able to help us.

TERRI  
I'll go get it.

Terri leaves and Grissom looks back at Ralph. He's staring at the habitat, munching his candy bar.

GREG  
(quietly)  
Did he really say all of that, Grissom?

GRISSOM  
It's an interpretation, Greg. His  
language skill is that of a five  
year old.

GREG  
Do you really think the DA will  
accept this as evidence?

GRISSOM  
I hope so.

Ralph sighs when a gorilla runs past his door.

INT. CSI - INTERVIEW ROOM A - DAY

Catherine and Joan sit across from each other. Catherine lays out photos as she speaks: magnified ends of the roll, the rope that strangled John Wright, and the one from Joan's sailboat.

CATHERINE  
You really hated John Wright, I  
imagine. Watching him beat on  
Guistina and not being able to do  
anything. You probably got to the  
point that you decided to do  
something about it.

FLASH TO: WHITE

**INT. WRIGHT TRAILER - NIGHT (RE-ENACTMENT)**

**John Wright is watching TV. Outside a window and out of his line of sight, Joan watches him. He gets up and goes to bed where Guistina is already asleep. He climbs in and is asleep in minutes. There's a creak, then a second creak. A dark shape appears -- Joan holding a length of rope.**

**She creeps up to the bed, slips the rope around John's neck, and ties it off. She tightens it, slowly so she won't wake him. He starts gagging, wakes, but it's too late. He can't save himself.**

**Guistina awakens. The murder scene is terrifying and she can't scream. John Wright dies and Joan loosens her grip.**

**JOAN  
You're free of him, Guistina.**

**Joan reaches for her. Guistina screams and runs out of the bedroom.**

**BACK TO SCENE**

Joan is shakes her head adamantly.

JOAN  
I didn't kill him.

CATHERINE  
The cut on these three ends match.  
The rope came from the same roll.

JOAN  
Since it's my rope, I'm not surprised.  
The bastard came over two weeks ago  
and took it. I realized it was gone  
when I needed it to tie up my sail  
and went over to ask for it back.  
He told me I could buy another one.  
I yelled a lot but eventually left.  
Then Tina brought me some while he  
was out, so I let it go. He'd just  
take his anger out on her if I  
did anything.

Catherine pulls another paper out of the folder and skims it.

CATHERINE  
He filed several domestic disputes  
against you.

JOAN  
Did you happen to look at the other  
domestic disputes the jerk filed on  
our other neighbors? He was always  
fighting with someone about something,  
not just me.

CATHERINE  
Matching rope wasn't found on the  
property of your other neighbors, Joan.

Joan sits back, shaking her head.

JOAN  
Did you find anything else? Anything  
more concrete that links me  
with this?

Joan has called Catherine's trump, and she knows it.

JOAN  
Well, when you come in here with  
actual evidence, that actually puts  
my hands on the rope around his neck,  
then we'll talk. But since I didn't  
do it, I find it highly unlikely I'll  
be spending more time talking to you.

CATHERINE  
Don't count on it.

Catherine gets up and walks out.

INT. CSI - HALLWAY - DAY

Now she lets her emotions go and shoots a dark glare at the interrogation room. She doesn't hear Riley come up behind her.

RILEY  
Yours went well too, I take it.

Catherine turns to her.

CATHERINE  
I just have to place the rope in  
their hands.

RILEY  
Not Elan's.

CATHERINE  
Why?

RILEY  
She told me she is taking Coumadin  
and has arthritis. I called her  
doctor and had Wendy verify it with  
-- a blood sample. She's telling  
the truth. That woman couldn't have  
killed John Wright.

Catherine looks back at Joan.

CATHERINE  
I know that they're both perfect  
for this, but...

RILEY  
...but the evidence is telling us  
to look somewhere else.

Catherine's phone rings. She answers it.

CATHERINE  
Willows.

She listens for a moment and then shakes her head.

CATHERINE  
(to caller)  
And she's said nothing else?  
Nothing at all? Okay. Thanks.

Riley leans against the wall. Catherine hangs up.

CATHERINE  
They moved Guistina Wright to the  
psychiatric floor. She's still  
asking for her sewing basket.

RILEY  
Everything in her closet was hand  
sewn. He made her work for everything  
in her life. And that quilt on the  
bed was beautiful. It's hard to  
imagine someone with such a traumatic  
life would be able to create  
something so beautiful.

Catherine leans on the wall next to Riley. They're defeated. There is no more evidence to follow. And yet...

RILEY  
Catherine...

Riley suddenly stands. Grissom's observation skills have rubbed off more than she realizes.

RILEY  
Guistina did it.

Catherine isn't convinced.

CATHERINE  
She's catatonic, Riley. If she  
did it--

RILEY  
He threw on the last straw and she snapped.

CATHERINE  
The DA would raise the defense that  
since she lived there, her blood  
and DNA at the crime scene is  
expected, especially if she fended  
off a killer. We need evidence to  
prove it.

Riley looks at Joan. Her face lights up.

RILEY  
The sewing basket. It's got to be  
something in the sewing basket.  
Maybe he destroyed something she  
was working on and it's in there.  
That would be probable cause, given  
the history of abuse.

Catherine still isn't convinced.

RILEY  
Would it hurt to go through it?

Sighing, Catherine shakes her head.

CATHERINE  
We've reached the end of this  
evidence trail, may as well.

The two head back to the lab.

INT. CSI - LAB - NIGHT

Grissom, Nick, and Greg are in a lab packing evidence. DA Daniel **WOODROW** comes in carrying a bound printout.

WOODROW  
You actually expect me to go to  
court with the testimony of a  
_monkey_ as my sole evidence in  
prosecuting a _human_?

The three stop working, staring at him. Nick and Greg both look to Grissom.

GRISSOM  
Primate, and yes.

Woodrow throws the printout on the table, shaking his head.

WOODROW  
I can't prosecute that man on this.  
It is omissible, regardless of what  
the monkey is, what you think he  
knows, or who owns it. All you've  
managed to do is prove the monkey  
is innocent, but not that Steve  
Perinski killed Takoda Red Deer.  
Get me tangible evidence, something  
that won't get me laughed out of  
court, or _I'll_ move to have the  
case thrown out.

Woodrow leaves. Grissom frowns. He feels the eyes of his CSI on him.

NICK  
Should we unpack all the boxes?

Grissom shakes his head.

GRISSOM  
He won't use it. We need to find  
something else. Nick, did you ever  
get the video from the surveillance  
cameras?

Nick thinks about the question.

NICK  
I think we did.

GRISSOM  
Go over it. Greg and I will go to  
Mister Perinski's residence and see  
what we can find.

Nick leaves. Grissom continues packing. Greg is confused, he looks it.

GRISSOM  
Greg. The warrant. We need a  
warrant. Go!

GREG  
On it!

Greg rushes out.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT THREE


	5. Act Four

ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

EXT. CSI BUILDING - NIGHT

To establish.

INT. CSI - LAB - NIGHT

Catherine and Riley stand next to each other with the basket in front of them. They're putting on rubber gloves. Riley sniffs the air and then the basket. She frowns.

RILEY  
How does the smell of death seem to  
get into everything?

CATHERINE  
I don't know, but the faster we get  
this out of here, the happier the  
rest of the lab will be with us.

Catherine takes the pouches on top that contain the sewing notions and scissors, leaving the cloth underneath for Riley. She unrolls a hand sewn scissor pouch

On the other side of the table is a roll of similar rope. Catherine pulls it over to her and with each scissor, cuts off a piece. The last cut is with a pair of fine pinking shears -- the cut is an exact match.

Riley pulls out a bundle of cloth. Right away she feels something about it isn't right. She pulls it back layer by layer, revealing a velvet-covered box. It is tied shut with a piece of ribbon. Riley unties the ribbon and lifts the lid. What's inside throws her off and for a moment she can just stare.

RILEY  
The last straw.

Catherine looks at Riley, then down at the box. Inside is a small, lifeless, yellow canary. Its head is positioned unusual. Riley gently lifts the small corpse from its coffin and the head flops over the side of her hand. Catherine looks at the piece of rope in her hand.

CATHERINE  
And we found what cut the noose.

Riley doesn't look up from the dead bird. Catherine stares at the matching rope cut. The evidence they've found doesn't make either of them happy.

INT. CSI - A.V. LAB - NIGHT

Nick sits with **ARCHIE**. Archie has just gotten the footage **ON SCREEN**. There are five different angles, some with better views of the habitat than others.

NICK  
Can you tell what time this was shot?

Archie fiddles with toggles, knobs, and then the time code appears. Nick refers to his notes.

NICK  
The call came in at 2:45am. The  
witnesses said they thought it was  
around 2:30am when they saw Ralph  
with the body. Doc Robbins couldn't  
get an exact time of death due to  
the way she was murdered, so... It  
had to be after everyone left.

ARCHIE  
Which was?

Nick refers to his notes again.

NICK  
The vets said everyone leaves  
around 9pm. We'll have to look  
from there.

Archie begins scrubbing the video to 9pm. He slows it down. Around the time stamp of 11pm, Nick sees something.

NICK  
Stop.

He points at the screen.

NICK  
Go back some. Here. On this one.

Archie does. The angle of the camera doesn't give a good view. All they can see is a sliver of a shadow on the habitat floor. Archie matches the time code of the other angles. He sees a small section of black.

ARCHIE  
Here's something else.

NICK  
Go forward. Slower.

Archie advances slower. Ralph appears suddenly and Archie stops, playing at normal speed. In several cameras they can see Ralph wander into view, looking toward the windows. He spins around, staring back into the cage. He rises up on his hind legs, appearing to be yelling, then charges back out of sight.

NICK  
Aren't there any other angles that  
are better?

ARCHIE  
They sent another DVD-R. Let's see  
what it has.

He switches out the DVD's. The angles on these cameras are different. One shows 3/4 of the bottom of Ralph's door. The other camera has a full view of another cage door and three or four bars of Ralph's cage. Nick points to these images.

NICK  
These. Let me see these.

Archie finds the time stamp and starts playing it.

Like Ralph told Grissom, the door opens and he goes outside. In the next cage, the gorillas wake up and watch. Something liquid splatters out of Ralph's cage, getting his attention. He watches.

The men see a pair of human legs appear and hands with a bucket, dousing the edges of the cage. They disappear. Ralph charges at the cage door. The other gorillas are drawn to their cage doors.

Ralph grabs the bars and starts tugging on them. He's in an enraged frenzy. He goes along the wall, pauses and they can see his body shaking. He comes back and starts tugging on the bars again. The habitat doors on all the cages open. Ralph runs into his.

The other gorillas leave their cage. Ralph comes back into view carrying the parts of Takoda. He goes to the other gorillas, but they turn or run away from him. He finally sits down, doing something. Nick leans in.

NICK  
What is he doing?

Archie knows and it makes him sick.

ARCHIE  
He's trying to put her back  
together. He... He doesn't  
realize... He didn't know he  
couldn't fix her.

Nick looks at Archie. He's watery eyed as he watches the footage. Nick looks back at the footage. Slowly it disturbs him to watch the magnificent creature brought to desperation, unable to comprehend what's happened to his friend.

INT. STEVE PERINSIKI PROPERTY - DAY

Perinski's home is on a large plot, a buffer home between residential and industrial. There's only a small patch of grass in front, the rest is dirt and sand. A patrol car and CSI SUV pull onto the property and park. They get out. The CSI carry field kits and cameras hang from their necks.

GRISSOM  
Greg, let's start out here.  
Whatever he tore her apart with  
I assume was outside.

Greg looks at the nearby houses.

GREG  
Do you think she was dead when he  
tore her apart?

GRISSOM  
Unconscious at the very least. The  
houses are too close by. Someone  
would have heard her if he'd tried  
to dismember her while she was  
unconscious

The two head toward a shed. Greg looks up and notices something. He stops walking.

GREG  
Grissom... Does that pickup look  
out of place?

Grissom stops, looking at an old, beat up pickup. There's a row of cars parked along the back privacy fence. The pickup is parked away from them.

GRISSOM  
Yes it does.

They walk over to the pickup. Greg pulls on gloves and opens the door. He puts on infrared glasses and pulls out his luminescent light, sweeping the inside of the pickup.

Grissom reaches the back and stares. He sees what looks like blood on the tailgate and bumper. He crouches, setting his kit down. He pulls on gloves and pulls out a swab. He wets it and swipes it through the blood. The swab turns pink.

GRISSOM  
Blood on the bumper and tailgate.  
Let's see if it's human.

Grissom prepares to test the DNA. Greg steps back, staring at the pickup. He looks down at the ground and notices the dirt at the edge of the pickup looks darker.

He lays down on the ground, pulling out his flashlight, and shines it underneath. Grissom smiles when his test proves positive for human DNA.

GRISSOM  
And it's human.

GREG  
The ground under here is discolored.

Grissom gets up.

GRISSOM  
Get a sample of the dirt. Then we  
have to find our pig donor.

Greg starts to answer when they both hear what sounds like a pig. They turn, staring at the large shed behind them.

INT. PERINSIKI SHED - DAY

The two enter the shed and stop. On one side of the shed is a pen with four plump pigs. On the other side is a setup for slaughtering pigs. This area is full of convicting evidence.

Ropes hanging on a wall catch Greg's attention. They are soaked with blood but he's interested in the pieces of skin caught in the fibers of one. He pulls a piece of skin out, swabs blood from it and tests it for DNA. It tests positive for human.

Grissom walks over to investigate three bone saws. He tests the blood on them and one comes back positive with human DNA.

GRISSOM  
I think the defense will have their  
work cut out.

Greg smiles and nods.

INT. CSI - INTERVIEW ROOM B - NIGHT

Catherine and Riley are waiting in the room. A bulky envelope sits on the table next to Riley. Catherine has a folder under her hands. A policeman and orderly bring Guistina in and sit her in a chair across from them. She's still catatonic.

CATHERINE  
Misses Wright, we'd like to ask you  
about the night your husband  
was murdered.

She's mute.

CATHERINE  
Guistina, did you murder your husband?

She's still mute. Catherine pulls out a photo of the rope.

CATHERINE  
Do you recognize this? Did you  
murder him with this?

She gives Guistina time to respond but she never will.

CATHERINE  
Misses Wright, you have to tell us  
what happened the night your  
husband died.

No response. Catherine slides another photo of Guistina's sewing basket in front of her. She doesn't respond to it.

CATHERINE  
Is this your sewing basket? Is this  
what you've been asking for? Why  
did you want it?

No response. Catherine is getting frustrated.

RILEY  
(quietly)  
I think I know why you did it, Guistina.

Catherine looks at Riley. Her partner stares intensely at Guistina, but not in the angry way she has at other killers. Her heart is on her sleeve.

FLASH TO: WHITE

**INT. WRIGHT TRAILER - NIGHT (RE-ENACTMENT)**

**GUISTINA is smiling, singing softly to her new pet. Her voice is that of an angel, not a single note off key or a beat missed. In the living room JOHN is watching TV. He keeps looking back, annoyed by her behavior. He suddenly gets up and storms into the kitchen. She instantly sobers, watching him.**

**JOHN  
Get rid of it.**

**She stares at him, not sure she's understanding.**

**GUISTINA  
What?**

**JOHN  
Get rid of the damned bird.**

**The silence that follows is tense. She shakes her head.**

**GUISTINA  
No.**

**JOHN  
Get rid of it, or I will.**

**GUISTINA  
I'm keeping it, John. I like the bird.**

**He grabs for the cage. The two fight, tearing up the kitchen. He slams her head against the refrigerator. It doesn't knock her unconscious, but it does daze her. He grabs the cage from the hook, tears the door open, and pulls out the bird. It squawks in his tight grip, struggling for freedom.**

**GUISTINA  
No. John, no. Please. I'll give it  
away. Don't hurt it.**

**He snaps the yellow bird's neck and tosses it to her feet.**

**JOHN  
Now you don't have any reason to  
sing. Clean up this mess.**

**John goes back to watching to TV. Guistina stares helplessly at the dead bird at her feet.**

**BACK TO SCENE**

Catherine looks at her. Riley hasn't revealed this theory to her.

Riley gets up, carrying the envelope with her. She opens it and slides out the box, treating it like a valuable possession. She sets it down in front of Guistina.

The catatonic woman responds to this. She reaches out and takes the box. She pulls the ribbon off and lifts the lid, staring at the dead canary. Riley crouches beside Guistina.

RILEY  
The last straw. He killed the last  
shred of soul you had when he  
killed this bird, didn't he,  
Guistina?

FLASH TO: WHITE

**INT. WRIGHT TRAILER - NIGHT (RE-ENACTMENT)**

**She's alone in the living room, John has gone to bed. Guistina carefully wraps the bird in the box. Her deadpan expression reveals someone who has nothing left to live for. She 'buries' her beloved pet in her sewing basket, and then takes out the pinking shears. **

**She goes outside and comes back with a length of rope. She returns the pinking shears and carefully packs the basket. She heads down the hall, her deft fingers quickly tying a noose. **

**INT. WRIGHT TRAILER BEDROOM**

**Cautiously she puts the rope around John's neck and then pulls it tight. He wakes too late to save himself and dies staring into her dead eyes. She drops the rope and leaves the trailer, barefoot and with nothing but her worn handmade dress.**

**BACK TO SCENE**

INT. CSI - HALLWAY - NIGHT

Riley and Catherine stand against the wall opposite the interview room. They watch the policeman and orderly get Guistina to her feet and handcuff her.

CATHERINE  
When did you realize it was the bird?

RILEY  
When I saw it, I just knew.

INT. CSI - INTERVIEW ROOM A - NIGHT

**STEVE** Perinski and his lawyer, Penny **MARSHALL**, are waiting at the table when Grissom and Nick enter. Grissom carries a file.

MARSHALL  
Your evidence had better not be  
just the monkey's testimony.

Grissom opens his mouth to rebuttal, but Nick beats him to it.

NICK  
Gorilla. Learn your primates.

Grissom is slightly surprised by the venom in Nick's tone. The CSI sit down at the table.

GRISSOM  
Mister Perinski, I noticed that you  
have swine on your property and you  
slaughter them yourself.

STEVE  
That's not illegal.

GRISSOM  
Perhaps, but...

Grissom pulls out enlarged photos of Ralph's cage when it was first found. He lines them up in front of Steve.

GRISSOM  
...all this blood is swine.

MARSHALL  
That could have come from anywhere.

GRISSOM  
I would agree, except that DNA  
markers in swine is just  
like humans.

Grissom retrieves the DNA test and sets the printouts in front of lawyer and client.

GRISSOM  
And the blood we found on your  
implements matches a pig you  
slaughtered recently.

Grissom pulls out another two DNA tests and photos of the rope and pickup bumper, setting them down.

GRISSOM  
And the blood on these items match  
Takoda Red Deer's DNA. Which,  
coincidentally, covers the back of  
a pickup found on your property,  
and was recovered from the ground  
under that same pickup.

Grissom stops talking, letting lawyer and client realize that Steve is finally pinned for the murder.

MARSHALL  
Let's talk plea bargain.

Grissom starts to reply. Steve suddenly shoves the pictures away, glaring at Grissom.

STEVE  
I can't believe you'd clear a damn monkey.

NICK  
Gorilla.

STEVE  
Whatever!

NICK  
Why would you try to pin this on  
him anyway? What did Ralph ever  
do to you?

MARSHALL  
Steve, don't answer that.

Steve tries to obey, but his rage is greater than his sense of preservation.

STEVE  
She would rather have spent time  
with that stupid monkey! I asked  
her out and asked and asked. She  
kept turning me down. Yet that  
stupid, idiotic monkey asked her to  
stay and she'd stay for hours. How  
sick is that? To choose a monkey  
over humans?

NICK  
(sharp)  
Gorilla!

Grissom motions Nick to back off. Steve laughs at Nick.

STEVE  
You prefer a monkey to humans, too?  
Maybe you should be killed too.

Nick starts to react, then stops and suddenly smiles.

NICK  
That was the worst thing you could  
have said in a room that records  
every conversation, man.

Grissom just smiles when Steve looks at him.

Marshall knows she can't save her client now. Grissom and Nick get up, leaving the room. Down the hall, Riley and Catherine are still watching Guistina. Nick doesn't notice them, but Grissom does.

GRISSOM  
Good work, Nick.

NICK  
On what?

GRISSOM  
Getting him to say that. He won't  
be getting out of this easily.

NICK  
I didn't plan it, you know.

GRISSOM  
I know. See you tomorrow, Nick.

Nick walks around him. The case has left him exhausted but satisfied.

FADE OUT.

THE END

WGA # 1217104

Written by A. Rhea King


End file.
